The Royal Family Was Alarmed by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Spending Habits, Source Reveals
Though it’s been six months since Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex resigned from their roles as senior working royals, experts and fans are still trying to unpack what went wrong. It seemed clear that Meghan was struggling in the royal spotlight, but no one could have foreseen Megxit as a solution.
The Sussexes have moved to Meghan‘s hometown of LA with their son, Archie Harrison. During their time away from the royal fold, they’ve been focused on spending quality time as a family while prepping the work for their future endeavor, Archewell.
Aside from an explanation about wanting a more private and peaceful life, the Sussexes have not gone into much detail about why they felt Megxit was their only recourse. However, numerous books, articles, and exposes about their time as a couple within the royal fold suggest there was a plethora of problems. One royal book suggests that the couple’s spending also put them at odds with the royal family.
Prince Harry brought Meghan Markle lavish gifts when they were dating
The prince is worth millions of dollars. However, he’s never been known to flaunt his wealth. Still, when he was introduced to Meghan on a blind date in the summer of 2016, he was immediately smitten. Within weeks, he swept the duchess away on an adventure in Botswana.
“Harry knew immediately that he had to “up his game” upon meeting Meghan,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight “There was this beautiful, glamorous actress, but I think it went far more than just a superficial initial connection. I was told really after those first couple of dates, he knew he had met someone very, very special, there was an immediate connection.”
The duke showcased his love during their courtship by purchasing Meghan gifts like a $6,650 a Cartier Love Bracelet, a $300 gold Maya Brenner necklace with the letters “M” and “H” on it, and a painting called “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” by British artist Van Donna.
Prince Harry began to change drastically after meeting Meghan Markle
As things between the pair began to heat up, the royal family immediately began to notice a change in the prince. After being cautioned by Prince William about how quickly his romance was moving, Prince Harry seemed to double down on his relationship, eventually marrying Meghan. However, his behavior was also shifting drastically.
Royal expert Angela Levin discussed the changes in Prince Harry in her 2019 book, Harry: Conversations with the Prince. She wrote,
On many occasions, he has also seemed to be a shadow of himself: miserable, tense, sulky, and even emasculated. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but perhaps all the changes Meghan has encouraged him to adopt have temporarily made him no longer feel quite himself. He also seems to be less active. In 2018 he only fulfilled 193 royal engagements compared to 507 undertaken by Prince Charles. He is emotionally vulnerable and has no wish to contradict a charismatic and extremely determined wife. I have been told from an insider that both the Queen and Prince Charles are very worried about him.
The real family was alarmed by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s spending habits
In addition to his behavior, the renovations on their Frogmore Cottage in Windsor and lavish personal spending also caused Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and Prince William to raise their eyebrows.
“Harry’s [spending] transformation is revealed as one of the fundamental factors behind the deep fissure that opened between him and his brother, Prince William,” Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett write in their book, Royals at War. “The fact that Meghan splashed so much cash rang alarm bells with the traditionally conservative Queen Elizabeth.”
The queen was reportedly also ‘privately unhappy’ over the cost to renovate Frogmore, the £478,920 spent on Meghan’s maternity clothes, and the amount of money the couple put toward wellness.
The couple’s $40,000 security bill from their extended stay in Canada has also been a source of contention. However, it appears that the Sussexes are determined to pay back everything they’ve spent and moved forward on their own.
